After 22 years, the “animan-y” siblings Wakko, Yakko, and Dot have returned with their silly antics for a 2020 reboot, set to officially release on Nov. 20. Both outrageous and educational, the three Animaniacs are ready to garner fans with 13 new episodes on Hulu, hence their “sellout” proposition in the beginning of the trailer.

Rewinding back to January 2018, Hulu announced that Amblin Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation will be bringing these characters to life for at least two seasons. It will be produced by the well-known executive producer Steven Spielberg, who had also produced the original 1990s Animaniacs. The premiere took two years due to the allotted time it took to create the animation, which is accompanied by a 40-piece orchestra. Voice lines are also spoken by the original voice talents of Rob Paulson (Yakko and Pinky), Jess Harnell (Wakko), Tress MacNeille (Dot) and Maurice LaMarche (The Brain). 

The show is set to keep the Warner Brothers (and the Warner sister) “zany to the max,” giving them the same charm through political and pop culture jokes and references. Keeping their antics similar to the original series makes the reboot promising for critics who are interested in watching the show. Unfortunately, supporting characters like Slappy the Squirrel, Hello Nurse and Minerva Mink seem to be absent from the show, removing some of the silliness from the show apart from the Warners. Tom Ruegger, the creator and original writer for the series in the 1990s, was disappointed with the removal of these characters. He had plans to incorporate the supporting characters in the reboot, but the production studio made it known to Ruegger and the rest of the original writing crew that they will not be involved in the series for reasons not yet disclosed. Disheartened, Ruegger expressed his distaste for the choice by retweeting a post from his son Nate Ruegger that reads, “the naked greed on display here to reboot a series without involving any of the original creative team so they can make *more* money, & then joke about it, is gross.”

Besides the conflict between the production studio and the original writing crew, many others have been excited for the trio to return. President of Warner Bros. Animation Sam Register says, “parents who grew up with the cartoon now have new episodes to share with their own families.” As a child who grew up constantly in front of a television watching various movies and cartoons to bond with family, I encourage friends to do the same with their own families. Cartoons are a fun way to unwind and relax, especially since we are spoiled nowadays with episodes readily available at any time on streaming websites. This “totally insan-y” reboot is sure to be loved by fans new and old!